That very evening, Genny had boldly introduced herself to him and thanked him for his discretion.
He found himself offering his services any time she so requested and had insisted she walk in the gardens to take the morning air with him the following day.
She had proposed a stargazing adventure instead, and without her maid in attendance, so they could freely enjoy themselves. How was a man to refuse such a generous offer? Better yet, what sane man would argue away the opportunity to spend a few unhindered hours with a beautiful woman?
They’d definitely enjoyed themselves. So much so, that for the first time in his twenty-five years—at the time—he had halted their intimacies before he found himself buried betwixt her lovely thighs.
That was not to say that they hadn’t indulged in other things. There had been much petting and stroking. There had also been plenty of kissing and in not so obvious places. He’d left marks on her skin that night, but had put them in places that would stay hidden from anyone’s prying eyes. Even then, he couldn’t resist finding her the night after that.
Pulling up to the duke’s townhouse, Leo pressed his hand to his straining erection, moving it to the side so he wasn’t so bloody uncomfortable in his trousers. He could not go anywhere in his current state.
Closing his eyes, he rested his head back on the worn leather seat and counted to five, all the while thinking of his father lecturing him on his behavior and conduct. His father insisting that he cut off all ties to the country lass he’d fallen for since it was nothing more than a passing fancy. Leo had known from the moment he’d left Genny behind that it was the wrong step to take. But how could he go back to her when she had the perfect opportunity to marry another?
Better fit for company now that his thoughts weren’t solely focused on one troublesome young woman, he stepped down from the hansom and flicked a coin up to the driver with a nod in farewell.
Hayden’s footman opened the door before Leo could lift the knocker. The tall young man bowed and stepped aside to allow him entrance.
“My lord,” he said, “His Grace is in his study.”
Leo removed his hat and gloves, and handed them over along with his cane. The man took them, leaving Leo to find his own way to Hayden’s study.
Leo strode down the hall, determined to get answers about Fallon’s will.
Smart man that Hayden was, he had not partaken in the game to woo the young lady out from Mr. Warren’s grasp. No one expected it of him. He had lived like a bloody monk for more than a year. Leo and Tristan thought maybe the last break-off with his mistress had done more lasting damage than anyone could guess. Hayden hadn’t set his eyes on another woman since that very public split.
The door to the study was ajar. Flickering amber indicated the lamps were lit bright. Stepping into the room, Leo located his friend sitting in a wingback chair. His feet were perched on a small ottoman, spectacles rested on the edge of his nose as he stared down at an open book in his lap.
The clock on the marble-encased mantel indicated the late hour with a chime at half past one. Leo took the settee across from his friend.
“Anything?” he asked, flopping back on the cushioned seat.
Hayden raised his brows, eyes focusing on Leo instead of the book he’d been reading. “Afraid not. Everything, including his investments, is tied into the entailments and estate. It can only be accessed by the Earl of Fallon and then signed off with the official Fallon seal.”
“The bastard.”
Hayden tossed the leather-bound book down on the table beside him. “Would you expect anything less after the tumultuous marriage they had?”
“No, I suppose not. Is there any way she can appeal the will?”
“Not without an issue.” When Leo opened his mouth to say something, Hayden raised his hand in a bid for silence. “I’ve already asked the delicate question. She knows she has no standing ground without an heir to succeed the father.”
“Christ, it just keeps getting worse. Mr. Warren doesn’t seem … How shall I word this?” Leo motioned with his hands as he searched for the right word. “Generous. He’s known as a pit bull in Parliament.”
“And with his upcoming engagement and nuptials, as Jez assures us, the chit will breed quickly. He’s already got bastards stretched from one end of the country to the other from what I’ve been able to dig up. Not that I could find proof of the so-called bastards.”
Did Jez think he and Tristan would court every marriageable young woman Mr. Warren set his sights on? While any man with a heavy hand for the fairer sex didn’t deserve to marry, they couldn’t stop him indefinitely from marrying. It wasn’t possible for so many reasons. The main one being that Leo was interested in one particular woman at the moment.
“Jez cannot expect us to court every young woman who could potentially take on her husband’s legacy. Not only is it poor sport, it’ll ban us from every social event of the season. Jez, too, should it be discovered what we are doing.”
Fingers drumming along the arm of the padded brocade chair, Hayden said, “Then let her assume you plan to complete the task at hand. In the meantime, I’ll talk to her. Maybe convince her to invest her meager annual into something offering high interest on returns. It should appease her for the time being.”
“It’s a start if nothing else.” Leo stood.
“I can make no promises, but I’ll try to convince her to take another path to secure her future. It’ll be difficult, though, because she has her sights set on her husband’s fortune.”
“Can you still hold up the will in court?”
“There is nothing I can do.” Hayden brushed his hands through his hair. “Everyone will wait out the year to make sure she isn’t increasing, then all the entailments will pass on to Mr. Warren.”
“So she has some time to plan her future.”
“If she doesn’t do anything damaging to her reputation in the meantime, yes.”
“I’ll talk to Jez,” he said with a nod and left Hayden’s study.
It suddenly felt like Leo’s reasons for continuing with Jez’s charade were selfish. And they absolutely were. He’d lost sight of his purpose the moment he’d laid eyes upon Genny.
What he needed to do was help Jez. She needed to let go of the past, of the abuse she’d suffered at the hands of her husband and move on. Leo’s stepmother had learned to move on with the help of Leo’s father.
Leo still remembered the day the woman he loved like his own flesh and blood had come to them. One eye swollen shut from the fist she’d taken to the face, her right arm broken and hanging limp at her side, her underclothes in which she’d escaped from her house covered in mud and soaked right through from the rain. Leo’s father had taken her in, helped her, and eventually married her when word came that her husband had died in a carriage accident. Though Leo was sure there had never been an accident, but a duel between rivals. He’d never know the truth now that his father had passed away.
The only question that remained was whether he would be able to help Jez as his father had helped his stepmother.
* * *
Genny sat at a writing table that faced a window overlooking the back garden. She was writing a letter to her friend Helena. She could see her cousin from the corner of her eye, sitting on the chaise and reading a letter of her own.
Charlotte folded the parchment and tucked it in the book she had been reading for the past few days. “When did you meet Lord Barrington? You seem rather knowledgeable about his character.”
Genny supposed it was an innocent enough question from her cousin and one that deserved a truthful response. She turned on the stool to face her cousin directly. “I met him in my third season.”
“I heard he courted you for a short time.” Charlotte’s brow rose marginally as though waiting for her denial. “At least that is the impression I received from Lady Hargrove.”
“Charlotte Lindsey, why do you bother asking me if the rumor mill has been busy enough to inform you of my past?”
“It’s obviously been years since you’ve seen each other and I wanted the truth from you. One can never be sure until the actual source verifies the facts.”
Her cousin was astute, but Genny could never reveal just how close she’d been to Leo.
With a heavy sigh, she gave in to her cousin’s curious nature. “If it appeases you in any way, and if the truth persuades you to cease this line of questioning, then I’ll tell you what you are so eager to know. While Barrington and I were well acquainted, we were no more than friends.”
“Well, I’m going to offer up my opinion on the matter now that you’ve given me enough to form one,” Charlotte said.
Genny would really rather not hear her cousin’s opinion. If there was one thing Charlotte excelled at, it was sorting out a puzzle before anyone else could begin to connect the pieces for themselves.
“I believe,” Charlotte went on, “that you met him and became fast friends—you can be charming and witty when you aren’t such a slave to my father’s orders.”
Genny made a face at that assessment and turned to put away her writing accessories. “Must we have your opinion at all? Barrington and I were friends ages ago, as you’ve so kindly pointed out.”